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According to “Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures” (the Hurt Report). This study examined nearly 4,500 crashes occurring in the Los Angeles area and was sponsored in part by NHTSA in 1981.
1. The most deadly injuries to the accident victims were injuries to the chest and head.
2. The use of the safety helmet is the single-most critical factor in the prevention or reduction of head injuries.
3. The use of the full facial coverage helmet increases protection, and significantly reduces face injuries.
4. Safety helmet use caused no attenuation of critical traffic sounds, no limitation of precrash visual field, and no fatigue or loss of attention; no element of accident causation was related to helmet use.
5. There is not liability for neck injury by wearing a safety helmet; helmeted riders had less neck injuries than non helmeted riders.
6. Approximately 50% of the motorcycle riders in traffic were using safety helmets but only 40% of the accident-involved motorcycle riders were wearing helmets at the time of the accident.
7. Seventy-three percent of the accident-involved motorcycle riders used no eye protection, and it is likely that the wind on the unprotected eyes contributed in impairment of vision, which delayed hazard detection.
8. The use of heavy boots, jacket, gloves, etc., is effective in preventing or reducing abrasions and lacerations, which are frequent but rarely severe injuries.
9. Injury severity increases with speed, alcohol involvement and motorcycle size.
10. Almost half of the fatal accidents show alcohol involvement
11. More than half of the accident-involved motorcycle riders had less than 5 months experience on the accident motorcycle.
12. Motorcycle riders with previous recent traffic citations and accidents are over represented in the accident data.
13. Motorcycle riders between the ages of 16 and 24 are significantly over represented in accidents; motorcycle riders between the ages of 30 and 50 are significantly underrepresented. The majority of the accident-involved motorcycle riders are male (96%).
14.Nearly 75% of the crashes occurring involved motorcycles involved in a collision with another vehicle, which was mostly a passenger car.
15. The failure of motorists to detect and recognize motorcycles in traffic was the predominating cause of motorcycle-car accidents. The driver of the other vehicle did not see the cycle before the collision, or did not see the motorcycle until too late to avoid the collision.
16. The most frequent impact configuration is the motorcycle proceeding straight ahead and the car making a left turn in front of the oncoming motorcycle.
17. In multiple vehicle accidents, the driver of the other vehicle violated the motorcycle’s right of way and caused the crash in 2/3 of the cases.
18.Intersections are the most likely place for motorcycle crashes with other vehicles.
19.The view of the motorcycle or the other vehicle involved in the accident is limited by glare or obstructed by other vehicles in almost half of the multiple vehicle accidents.
20. Conspicuity of the motorcycle is a critical factor in multiple vehicle accidents, and accident involvement is significantly reduced by the use of motorcycle headlamps (on in daylight) and the wearing of high visibility yellow, orange or bright red jackets.
21. The typical motorcycle accident allows the motorcyclist just less than 2 seconds to complete all collision avoidance action.
22. Motorcycle riders in these accidents showed significant collision avoidance problems. Most riders would over brake and skid the rear wheel, and under brake the front when greatly reducing collision avoidance deceleration. The ability to counter steer and swerve was essentially absent.
23. About 25% of the crashes involved a single motorcycle that either struck a fixed object and/or ran-off the road.
24. The likelihood of injury is extremely high is these motorcycle accidents-98% of the multiple vehicle collisions and 96% of the single vehicle accidents resulted in some kind of injury to the motorcycle rider; 45% resulted in more than a minor injury.
25. Vehicle failure and roadway defects accounted for less than 3% of motorcycle crashes and weather conditions were not a factor in 98% of the cases.
26. The typical motorcycle pre-crash lines-of-sight to the traffic hazard portray no contribution of the limits of peripheral vision; more than ¾ of all accident hazards are within 45 degree of either side of straight ahead.
27. The median pre-crash speed was 29.8 mph, and the median crash speed was 21.5 mph.
28. Lack of attention to the driving task is a common factor for the motorcyclist in an accident.
— According to data from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation:
29. Voluntary helmet use rates by motorcyclists in states that do not have helmet laws are about 45-55%. With mandatory use laws, more than 90% of riders in that state wear helmets.
30. According to a NHTSA Study that examined the effects of helmet-law repeal on motorcycle fatalities over a 10 year period across several states, saw a 10.4 to 33.3% increase in the fatality rate per accident occur.
31. Severe brain injury was found to be 600% higher for non helmeted riders based on an Oregon Study.
— According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:
32. Fifty-five percent of all reported fatal motorcycle crashes occurring nationally in 1998 involved multiple vehicle crashes and 45% occurred in single-vehicle crashes.
33. Five crash types account for 86% of fatal motorcycle crashes: motorcycle runs-off-road 41%, motorcycle or other vehicle runs traffic control 18%, head-on collision 11%, car turns in front of cycle 8% and motorcycle goes down in roadway 7%.
34.Forty-five percent of deaths in single-vehicle motorcycle crashes in 1998 included drivers with blood alcohol concentration at or above 0.10%.
35.Nine out of 10 motorcycle deaths in 1998 were males. Seventy-seven percent of the females who died in a motorcycle crash were passengers and 98% of males who died were drivers.